Hints From Heloise: Individual instructions not includedNews from Washington Post:

Dear Readers: Here is this week’s SOUND OFF, about how companies put instructions on packaging:

“My Sound Off is about companies that make frozen food in individual packets inside a box. The cooking instructions are on the box, but not on the packet, so when you take one to work, you need to remember the timing so you don’t end up with an ice pop or a lump of coal to eat. It’s usually the ‘pocket’ items that don’t have the instructions. — Deborah, via e-mail”

Well, there usually is a downside to some “convenience” foods! — Heloise

TOWEL TROUBLES

Dear Heloise: I recently forgot a load of towels in the washer for a couple of days, and now they smell like mildew. Please tell me how I can get rid of this awful smell. — A Reader, via e-mail

This happens a lot, and you’re not alone! To get rid of the smell, rewash the towels in hot water with a normal amount of laundry detergent and 1/2 cup of baking soda or washing soda (you can find it in the laundry aisle). Then put the towels into the dryer ASAP. Also, use a low heat setting for a longer time. You may need to repeat the process if they’re still not fresh. Want t…………… continues on Washington Post

Giving help, getting help in the Midlands, Nov. 30News from The State:

GOOD NEIGHBORS

THE LEXINGTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT and Lexington 1 are conducting a Socks to Sole Drive Monday through Dec. 17. They’re collecting new, unwrapped socks for children who have cancer and are undergoing medical treatment at Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital. Children undergoing medical treatment for cancer often experience cold feet and the socks help keep children’s feet warm. Donations may be dropped off at Gilbert Elementary, 314 Main St.; Gilbert Primary, 520 Main St.; and Gilbert Middle, 120 Rikard Circle (all in Gilbert). School Resource Officer Matt Rogers, who works at GMS, is coordinating, contact him at (803) 821-1728 or (803) 231-8563.

ORANGE LEAF FROZEN YOGURT is collecting donations from customers through Dec. 16 as part of the Orange Leaf Pajama Drive to benefit Ronald McDonald House. Cutomers who donate one new pair of pajamas at the 701-B Santee Ave. store will be receive a 3-ounce froyo in exchange. (803) 771-7222

BE A SANTA TO A SENIOR PROGRAM runs through Dec. 7. Christmas trees will go up at Chick-fil-A, 229 Bush River Road, and Pink Sorbet, 2726 Devine St. Each tree will feature ornaments with the first names of seniors and their respec…………… continues on The State

Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter of Chambersburg wins new minivanNews from Chambersburg Public Opinion:

Click photo to enlarge

New ride: Shelter dogs Jackson and Addie, right, with Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter employee Linda Asper, explore the rear storage area of a new van as part of Toyota s 100 Cars for Good event Wednesday at Fitzgerald Toyota, Chambersburg. CVAS won the 2013 Sienna van in Toyota s 100 cars to 100 nonprofit organizations over 100 days giveaway.

CHAMBERSBURG – For the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter, receiving a new minivan on Wednesday from Fitzgerald Auto Malls through Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good giveaway seems like an early Christmas.

The nonprofit organization was nominated and selected as a finalist to compete against four other organizations on Aug. 20. In the course of the day, it received the most votes on Facebook, allowing shelter officials to take home a 2013 Toyota Sienna.

If more homeowners knew the proper way to clean out their roof gutters, there would be less deaths and injuries. Fall is the season when gutters are cleaned out in preparation for the rainy season ahead. If the rainwater doesn’t flow properly through the gutter and downspout system, costly home repairs can add up from rainwater damage. It’s time to clean out those clogged gutters, and to do it safely.

According to Robert Lenney, Gutterglove gutter guard inventor and gutter cleaning expert whose company has cleaned out more than six million feet of gutter since 1995, being properly educated in the art of gutter cleaning is the key to a successful and safe cleaning experience.

“Cleaning out gutters is pretty easy as long as you know what you are doing,” said Lenney. “Every time I hear of someone getting hurt from cleaning their gutters makes me cringe, because it could most likely have been avoided had they followed proper cleaning procedures.”

There are a variety of gutter cleaning tips that can bring sanity into this tedious task. Lenney recommends eight of the basics listed below.

Ladder Safety: Always let someone know you will be using a ladder to work on your roof or gutters. Use a safe and sturdy ladder, preferably with a small she…………… continues on Oakdale Leader

Organizing Tips: How To Keep Cords Neat And TidyNews from Huffington Post:

With so many electronics in our lives these days, it seems impossible to keep all of the cords tidy. And let’s face it, all it takes is one wire to get tangled for the rest to end up in an annoying web of confusion. Luckily, Reader’s Digest found a great organizing tip to help keep these electricity carriers neat.

All you have to do is take a clothespin and label it with the appropriate electronic name. Then, clip the pin to the cord to help identify the gadget and stop it from getting tangled.

When it comes to simplifying life, this tip definitely helps. And according to

Kansas Humane Society, 3313 N. Hillside, Wichita, 67219, 316-524-9196, www.kshumane.org. To set the standard in care and adoption services for pets while educating the community in the ethical and responsible treatment of compa…………… continues on Area nonprofits’ holiday wish list 2012 – Kansas.com

And during the next several weeks, South Sound residents have an opportunity to open their hearts and spread some holiday cheer through The Olympian’s Light of Hope.

Look in today’s paper for a mega-list of holiday wishes compiled by local agencies that screen and work with folks in need. Anyone who would like to help someone on the list is encouraged to contact the organization directly.

They are groups such as Barb’s Family and Friends, an Olympia-based nonprofit that organizes free community meals at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“The numbers have grown to really, really huge proportions,” said Rodney O’Neill, whose late mother, Barb, began the tradition more than 40 years ago. “We went from serving 1,500 people a year, to serving over 4,000 people a year (through the organization’s various projects).”

O’Neill operates a barbecue catering and food cart business and recently opened Barb’s BBQ 3 at 1500 Jefferson St. in Olympia.

Barb’s BBQ 3 is a popular lunch spot for state workers; its plates range from $ 6 to $ 8, and specialties include apple-wood…………… continues on Open your heart for the holidays – The Olympian

Ever open a pomegranate and wonder how to get at all those seeds? Picking them out one by one can be both time-consuming and incredibly messy. Don’t worry, there’s an easy way.

Break the pomegranate open over a large bowl of water. Place the halves in the water and slowly peel away at the membrane, pushing out the seeds. As you work, the seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl as the membrane floats to the top. Once you’ve separated all the seeds, discard the shell and membrane, and drain the water. You’ll be left with a clean bowl of seeds.

You can watch a demonstration in the video above.

If you have any kitchen tips or questions you’d like me to explore, leave a comment below or shoot me an email at noelle.carter@latimes.com.

As the holiday nears the Foster’s Donations List is adding new organizations daily.

The list is intended to help organizations in the Seacoast and Tri-City regions assist those in need.

It is open to all nonprofit organizations collecting food, clothes, toys, money, gift cards and other goods for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Organizations collecting year-round are also encouraged to join the list.

For an organization to appear on the donations list, a representative should fill out the coupon attached to this story and return it by mail to: Rodney G. Doherty, Executive Editor, Foster’s Daily Democrat, 150 Venture Drive, Dover, N.H. 03820. The donation request may be dropped off at the newspaper’s Venture Drive address.

For electronic filing, a link is on Fosters.com, or coupon information and the list of needs can be emailed to donations@fosters.com.

It is very important for those who want their organization to appear on the list that they provide all the information requested on the coupon, whether using a hard copy coupon or email. Other than the list of needs, a name and contact information and the deadline (expiration date) for receiving goods must be included.

First, you clean up your home for Thanksgiving and decorate it for your family. And after the festivities are over, it again comes down to you to clean up after the party. It is always double work for the homemaker or the lady of the house. After a huge family event like Thanksgiving, the house is bound to become a mess. The only way to clean up your home to begin where you started.

First of all, you need to clean up your kitchen. Thanksgiving is a feast and your kitchen has churned out all the delicacies, so it is bound to be dirty. I always feel that when we work alone in the kitchen, it stays much cleaner. But on a festive day, too many people come in to help and dirty your kitchen unnecessarily.

The next place to clean at home would certainly be your dinning table. This is where all the left over food from your party must be lying. Gravy spills, sauce spots, oil stains will be abundant. It is best to save half the day for your dinning room. The leftover food needs to be packed off into the refrigerator and the cutlery/crockery must be put to wash.

Other than these you will have dusty floors, stained carpets and some broken glasses for sure. Here are 8 smart tips for cleaning up your home post-Thanksgiving. It will not make your job easy but it will give you a strategy to begin with.

Organizing Tips: The Best Way To Store NecklacesNews from Huffington Post:

It’s officially holiday season and with this often comes a lot of traveling. Whether you’re jet-setting to a cool party or just flying home to see your family, you’re going to have to pack everything from clothes to accessories. And if you’re looking for the best way to store necklaces when traveling, Real Simple suggests a really clever organizing tip.

All you have to do is unfasten the chain, run it through a plastic straw and reclasp it. The magazine also suggests cutting the straw to fit the length of your jewelry.

We think this is a fantastic way to not only save your…………… continues on Huffington Post